inbetween

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Posts by inbetween

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  18

  New Light 144,000 Congregations

  by Bob_NC in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  has anyone heard quiet rumblings of new light on the meaning of the 144,000?

  to look for 144,000 congregations of jehovah's people as there are now almost 112,000 congregations?

  has anyone heard this?.

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  inbetween

  the only change I would ever see considering 144000 is being symbolic,

  this other idea is just even too crazy for the GB
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  50

  Are you now ashamed of how gullible you were as a JW?

  by biometrics in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  now that you realise how idiotic some of the jw beliefs are/were, do you feel ashamed of how gullible you were to believe them?.

  if anything my past as an adult jw makes me understand how easily manipulated people are by the people and environment around them.

  and that even intelligent people can be influenced beyond what is rational..

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  inbetween

  yes, very much so, i even thought, for me, there to believe something I need to have enough proof.

  So I thought, becuase I only followed the reasonings of the WTS, hardly looked at "the other side".

  However, in time, some things didn`t click, but I buried all the doubts under the "wait for jehovah" thought-stopper.
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  59

  Do you think the WTS is about to change the doctrine about 1914? If so, what are the signs that is under way?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what the title says.

  do you think the wts doctrine that says that christ was made king in 1914 is about to change?

  if you think that's being orchestrated and prepared, do you see signs of that already?

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  inbetween

  Where I live, I see lots of attetion from media given to 100th anniversary of 1914, with lots of documentaries in TV, or magazins, books etc..

  Mostly they will agree, what big chances 1914 brought for people back then, with influence even to our time.

  All this actually will be used by the WTS to support their stance regarding the outstanding year 1914, and will probably stress how history proofs the bible, or at least their interpretation of the bible, which in turn proofs, that they are the one and only true religion. Russel and friends foretold 1914 right ? Doenst matter what he exactly foretold, but he mentioned the magic date 1914, therefore he was almost insipired, even though not anymore the FDS.

  Will they drop 1914 ? Yes, eventually, but not in the next couple of years....maybe decades...
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  36

  New Pattern regarding Science in the Awake

  by konceptual99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  reading the first couple of awakes for 2013 i think there is a pattern developing.. they have the regular "could it have happened by chance" article on something amazing in nature but they are also interviewing a scientist who is also a witness.

  this is a pretty interesting tack on a number of levels.. firstly it is sending out the implicit message that "look, this educated person accepts creation, the flood and every other account that is at odds with generally accepted science, so that should give you confidence that you are right as well".

  secondly, as a magazine designed for public comsumption is suggests to non-witnesses that there are many well educated people who accept the bible.

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  inbetween

  answer for "breakfast of champions":

  sorry for the late answer, I didnt have access during weekend:

  However the sisters name does not start with "G".

  Greetings,

  inbetween
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  36

  New Pattern regarding Science in the Awake

  by konceptual99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  reading the first couple of awakes for 2013 i think there is a pattern developing.. they have the regular "could it have happened by chance" article on something amazing in nature but they are also interviewing a scientist who is also a witness.

  this is a pretty interesting tack on a number of levels.. firstly it is sending out the implicit message that "look, this educated person accepts creation, the flood and every other account that is at odds with generally accepted science, so that should give you confidence that you are right as well".

  secondly, as a magazine designed for public comsumption is suggests to non-witnesses that there are many well educated people who accept the bible.

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  inbetween

  no doubt the society backed off from a more liberal approach in the 90`s, is getting harder again on higher education.

  The brother/sisters with some kind of privilege I know startet their university education during or short after those "liberal" years, so I agree, for a family today to support one childs higher education will pretty sure at least provoke a visit from local elders, the rest depends, how strict the local BOEW views the matter.

  On the other hand I know a sister, being invited to visit bethel, only because she studied and finished Law at Universitiy, as a babtized sister btw.

  A Bethel were physicians, laywers and who knows whoe else with higher education is working and is needed.

  Anyway, the whole stance regarding university education revealed through articles (mostly in the study edition) or in talks is one of the most outstanding and disgusting hypocrisis in the org.
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  36

  New Pattern regarding Science in the Awake

  by konceptual99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  reading the first couple of awakes for 2013 i think there is a pattern developing.. they have the regular "could it have happened by chance" article on something amazing in nature but they are also interviewing a scientist who is also a witness.

  this is a pretty interesting tack on a number of levels.. firstly it is sending out the implicit message that "look, this educated person accepts creation, the flood and every other account that is at odds with generally accepted science, so that should give you confidence that you are right as well".

  secondly, as a magazine designed for public comsumption is suggests to non-witnesses that there are many well educated people who accept the bible.

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  inbetween

  good analysis,

  its a mistake, even the WTS likes to point out, to rely on other "smart" people in order to believe something.

  Even smart people often believe weird things (see book: Why people believe weird things - Michael Shermer), the reason is not because of scientific proof or evidence, but lies in a psychological background.

  anyway, even though higher education for witnesses is frowned upon, and lately became more restrictive, one does not automatically loose the privilge, they just will be questioned about their motives in connection with their overall spiritual appearance. In my area, I know elders, pioneers, ms, who went to university as babtizes witnesses, and it did not effect their privilege. But maybe in Europe things are more relaxed regarding higher education, I guess.

  This whole new take in the new magazines, as you rightly pointed out, is a PR-campaign, trying to cover up their really extremely sceptical stand towards higher education, which you hear at conventions, meetings etc...
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  1

  another possible reason the the new teaching GB = faithful slave

  by inbetween in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sitting yesterday through another mindnumbing meeting, when the experiences of the yearbokk was being discussed, i noticed another mention of governing body, written in capitals.. then it dawned on me, maybe one reason for changing the understanding of the slave class could be, that the term governing body is not mentioned in the bible, which could become a weak point, especially defending against "apostate" ideas and accusations.. basically shifting the name to fds would mean to have a scriptural support somehow.. i also remember, in my days as a full believer, i never doubted the fds doctrine, but i was kind of disturbed by not finding the term gb in the bible.. on the other hand, back then, gb was not mentioned that often in the literatur as it is today.. .

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  inbetween

  Sitting yesterday through another mindnumbing meeting, when the experiences of the yearbokk was being discussed, I noticed another mention of Governing Body, written in capitals.

  Then it dawned on me, maybe one reason for changing the understanding of the slave class could be, that the term governing body is not mentioned in the bible, which could become a weak point, especially defending against "apostate" ideas and accusations.

  Basically shifting the name to FDS would mean to have a scriptural support somehow.

  I also remember, in my days as a full believer, I never doubted the FDS doctrine, but I was kind of disturbed by not finding the term GB in the bible.

  On the other hand, back then, GB was not mentioned that often in the literatur as it is today.
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  45

  Post a picture of the Faithful and Discreet Slave!

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  yes, we can call them that now, without fear of being disfellowshipped for apostasy.. .

  http://www.jw.org/en/news/events-activities/annual-meeting-report-2012/.

  http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/governing-body-says-we-are-the-faithful-and-discreet-slave.

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  inbetween

  grandpa munster , hilarious, I almost laughed out loud at work....
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  25

  Snares of the Devil - Questioning the motives of those who pioneer

  by Quarterback in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the wt for today, can't remember exactly what paragraph, stated the dangers of the tongue.

  it went further to mention that we wouldn't want to question the motives of a sister who was appointed in the congregation as a pioneer.

  there was even a picture to add emphasis.. who on earth questions that?

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  inbetween

  and what about elder-meetings ? How often are false motives put into actions of the flock ?

  He/she is working overtime because of materialism, he/she is missing meetings because of loving pleasures more than god, etc..
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  18

  organisation necessary ?

  by inbetween in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this weeks meeting, there was one talk about the need for an organisation, taken from the reasoning book.. the usual stuff, how would preaching be possible wiithout org, or the command (?

  ) from hebrews to gather together etc... .

  however, i thought, the fact, that esp.

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  inbetween

  This weeks meeting, there was one talk about the need for an organisation, taken from the reasoning book.

  The usual stuff, how would preaching be possible wiithout org, or the command (?) from hebrews to gather together etc..

  However, I thought, the fact, that esp. the preaching work needs an organisation proofs that they are not supported by a higher power. If god (in case he exists) really wanted a group of people to preach some good news, why does he need a human construct like an organized religion ?

  Why not direkt individually with holy spirit his people ? That would actually be proof of his existence and his approval of this particular group of people. However, everything around the preaching work of JW, even if it might be an achievement on its own, can be explained being done with human efforts. Anybody who says different, I would challenge, to just stop the reporting, the pioneer-title etc,and see, how many witnesses keep going out as much as now...all these things are human techniques to get people working, a guilt and reward system, nothing divine to spot there...

  My point: The existence of the org actually proofs, God is not with them...(quite the opposite of what JW are taught)